What Makes a Man: Friendship
by SilkenNightmare
Summary: Young Rufus meets a new (sorta) friend (pathetic summery, I know)


Disclaimer: Don't own Rufus, or the song, or anything else.   
AN: This one and the next one (alliances) I consider a bit lesser than two others coming up (decisions and power) so if you really think this is kinda lame, check back for those at least. Thanks!   
  
  
  


What Makes a Man: Friendship  
  
  


  
_"Hello Darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again…"_-Paul Simon, Art Garfunkle, The Sound of Silence  
  


  
  
He woke covered in sweat and with the sounds of screams echoing in his mind. He huddled for a moment under the covers, before sitting up to throw a glance at the chair across the room. Rufus didn't know when or why his 'protection', which he had always taken as a babysitter of sorts, had been upped from 12 hours a day to 24. Having someone else staying in his room all night had taken some getting used to, but he was glad to have them now. He shuddered slightly, still afraid, though the only thing he could remember of his dream was his father's leering face, false smile covering sharp, snarling teeth.   
  
He peered into the darkness at the chair, not recognizing the shape slumped there. Which was especially strange since a member of the Turks had always been assigned to watch him before, normally Tseng, the youngest, but he would know any of them on sight. He narrowed his eyes and contemplated being alarmed, then decided against it, it would hardly help.   
  
He rose quietly and slipped out of the room, the figure in the chair waited a moment, then followed.   
  
Rufus settled himself on the couch in the quasi-living room and snapped on the television. He skipped quickly through the channels, coming to rest on a news program. "You can sit down," he called to the shadow behind him. Slowly the man came forward and sat down on the couch, except it wasn't a man, but rather a teenage boy, 16 maybe 17 years old.   
  
Rufus looked at him with obvious curiosity. "Who are you?" he asked finally.   
  
"Nobody. Just your guard. Sir"  
  
"But, well, why? Normally one of the Turks watches me, and, no offense, but you look awfully young for a bodyguard." Rufus cocked his head, completely at ease now.   
  
The older boy shrugged, "The Turks are busy. Sir."  
  
"Oh?"   
  
"Yeah," he nodded to the television.   
  
"And today, for our main story, Mark Jannece comes to you live from Sector 3 where four people were found dead only hours ago. What have you found Mark?"   
  
"Well," a young man answered, "One is believed to be Christopher James, owner of Blue River Steel, located in Junon. Police haven't released any information but it is believed that the murders may have been business related. There have been rumors that he was embezzling a great deal of money…"  
  
Rufus' eyes widened a touch, "Hmm. Wonder why father would want to knock him off." He was surprised, not about the Turks whereabouts, but that he hadn't known, or at least suspected. Normally he could guess his father's motives and plans long before the old man put them into effect. In fact, only once before had he been unprepared for one of his father's actions. It made him nervous, bad things happened when he could predict what came next.   
  
The older boy shrugged.   
  
"But, that still doesn't explain why you're watching me. I mean why not a member of SOLDIER or something?" Rufus said, getting back to his original curiosity, his father could wait till morning. However, theories about the boy before him were already rushing into his mind like a tidal wave.   
  
"I'm as qualified as any SOLDIER, short of Sephiroth, Sir."   
  
"Oh…And please don't call me sir." Rufus thought for a moment, or pretended to, then looked up, his eyes bright, "Qualified as any soldier. Turk in training then?"   
  
The boy said nothing.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes." Rufus cocked his head towards the silent teen, he had realized years ago that Turks made the best of friends, they tended to be non judgmental, a trait Rufus had come to truly appreciate. "Hey, you want to play Mario Kart?"   
  
The older boy looked up, startled, and thought for a second, then shrugged and smiled "Sure."   
  
"Alright," Rufus smiled back. "But," He said, "I get to be Yoshi."   
  
"…Whatever you say, Sir."   
  



End file.
